The invention relates to an edible fat-composition which is suitable for e.g. spread manufacture. From a nutritional point of view vegetable fats are preferred over animal fats, but without further processing these vegetable fats are not solid enough for the manufacture of high quality spreads. Hydrogenation is a traditional method for increasing the melting point of vegetable oils. According to modern nutritional insights there is a need for edible vegetable fat-compositions with a suitable consistency but which have not been subjected to chemical processing, particularly not to hydrogenation.
The present invention deals with an edible vegetable fat-composition with an increased solid fat content and which has not been subjected to hydrogenation. The invention also relates to a process for preparing such fat-composition and to an edible plastic fat-product comprising at least a fat phase wherein the fat-phase comprises such an edible vegetable fat-composition.
From EP 369 519 fat-compositions are known which have a stearic acid residue content of 15-45%, a palmitic acid residue content of less than 15% and a content of unsaturated C18 acid residues of 45-85%, the combined amount of fatty acid residues having a chain length of 16 or more carbon atoms being at least 95%. The specification discloses that this kind of fat-composition, which is for example found in high stearic acid residue containing varieties of soybean oil, can be used as such, without modification, as a fat which constitutes the fat-phase of spreads. An advantage of such spreads is that it combines a fatty acid distribution which is considered nearly perfect from a health point of view with very little processing. Many customers appreciate such products because these are perceived to be more natural.
However, when investigating these fat-compositions the problem was considered of their solid fat content which at ambient temperature is still relatively low and which makes them less suitable for many potential applications.